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Cellar Hand, San Diego, CA

Cellar Hand

4.6
4.6
139 Reviews
$31 to $50
Farm-to-table

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Nestled in the heart of Hillcrest, San Diego, Cellar Hand embodies a commitment to sustainability, craftsmanship, and community. Through a farm-to-table approach, our menu showcases hyper-local seasonal fare. Our extensive wine list highlights the diverse terroir of California, serving as an extension of founder’s Pali Wine Co. Santa Barbara County winery. By fostering deep connections with local artisans, farmers, fishers, and stewards, Cellar Hand strives to be a destination where guests can savor the essence of California’s bounty in every bite and sip.

Enjoy our exposed kitchen, an indoor-outdoor bar, outdoor fire pits, and artwork by Nick Perr. Opened Wednesday - Sunday with daily happy hour specials and weekend brunch!

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Farm-to-table, Mediterranean, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa

Experiences

  • Happy Hour

    Multiple dates available
    Enjoy 50% off all wine by the glass, beer, and sangria, alongside deals on bar snacks and our seasonal dips. This special offer is available Wednesday through Sunday, 4-5pm.
    Happy Hour Photo
  • Brunch at Cellar Hand

    Multiple dates available
    Join us Saturdays & Sundays starting at 10am for decadent dishes including our house made brioche toasts, our take on traditional brunch eats, locally-sourced tea & coffee, and our handcrafted cocktails!
    Brunch at Cellar Hand Photo

Offers

  • Happy Hour, 4-5pm

    Multiple dates available
    Sun - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM,Wed - Sat - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
    When the clock strikes four, our prices hit the floor. Glasses of wine at half price, pair them with pitas, so nice. For a whole hour, be happy, in the Hillcrest sun. Join us at Cellar Hand—the evening’s just begun. Happy Hour, Wednesday - Sunday from 4 PM - 5 PM!

    Happy Hour, 4-5pm Photo

What 139 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Neighborhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cellar Hand in San Diego is a vibrant dining destination known for its "amazing food" and "locally sourced" ingredients. Guests consistently praise the "fantastic" service from knowledgeable staff and the creative shareable plates. With a stellar wine selection and a "wonderful atmosphere," it's perfect for date nights or special celebrations.

139 Reviews
  1. Dennis VIP

    San Diego22 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We love this place. Wife had mackerel special. Very good. I had the burger (again) good but the bun should be less breadie a little softer. Cheesecake was to die for. We like the location and ambiance. Our Servers were great.

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely loved it. Everything we had was so delicious. One of my eye popping faves was the Seared Scallop Crudo… omg. We want to come back to be able to taste everything else on the menu. Perfect ambience. And parking is not an issue.

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  3. Derek

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love the ambiance, the staff and the chefs selections! So many interesting and unique flavors! Such an amazing experience, especially for the adventurous tasters! Can’t wait to see what the chef comes up with next!

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  4. Akhiterm VIP

    New York City8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a great time at Cellar Hand. Service was excellent and the food was great. Rabbit ragú was a stand out as was the Bluefin Nduja Toast and Garlic Toum. I’m begging them to put their chocolate dessert on the permanent menu!

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  5. George

    Los Angeles15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Outstanding and creative farm to table food. An excellent splurge option.

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  6. CK VIP

    Los Angeles6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Steven and our waitress took excellent care of us.

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  7. dgcardiff

    San Diego4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything really was exceptional. The service was friendly and attentive. Gaby was our waitress and she was great as was everyone else there. Food, we ordered all small plates and everything was delicious. Can’t remember everything we ordered but some things were the smoked fish, olives, crudo, blue fin nduja, blistered snap peas and all three dips, probably didn’t need all three dips but we did manage to eat them all :) Hard to name a favorite as it was all so good but the blue fin nduja. Was surprising, the flavor and complexity was interesting. In a very good way :) the mild spiciness of the nduja set off the richness of the tuna perfectly. Overall a lovely experience and look forward to going back some time soon.

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  8. danny VIP

    San Diego35 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent variety of appetizers and small plates. Wine choices varied and fairly priced. No gluten free bread or crackers for dips. vegis suggested for dipping but then a $5 charge for a few slices of cucumber listed on check as “extra pita”. San dabs were a great special but “very boney”. The chef said its easy to just remove the remaining bones along the vertebrae. If its so easy why doesn’t the chef remove them prior to serving. Pleasant ambiance. We have more to explore.

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  9. Leonard

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Based in Hillcrest. One of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. 5 out of 6 dishes were S Tier. Tinned yellowfin was A tier. Unreal textures in the beef tartare. Zataar was an incredible seasoning choice for the carrots. Cavatappi was a special for the evening, & it was special indeed. Rockfish crudo was fresh asl (just fished for in the morning). And the pound cake was a top 3 dessert for me, ever. Meticulously crafted & everything cooked by the book. Could not recommend this place more. Kudos to Chef Logan!

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  10. Alan

    San Francisco2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Every items was perfectly prepared and tasty. Also good for sharing. Order everything!! Pork chop - fantastic. Agnolloti, great. Everything great!!
    Cellar HandResponded on February 20, 2025
    Thank you so much, Alan! We hope to see you again soon.

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FAQs

Cellar Hand is rated 4.6 stars by 139 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Cellar Hand

1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103-3405

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Farm-to-table, Mediterranean, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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